USB-C

Stands for "Universal Serial Bus Type-C." USB-C is a type of USB connector that was introduced in 2015. It supports USB 3.1, which means a USB-C connection can transfer data up to 10 Gbps and send or receive up to 20 volts or 100 watts of power. Unlike the previous USB Type-A and USB Type-B ports, the USB-C port is symmetrical, which means you never have to worry about plugging in the cable the wrong way.

The USB-C connector is the most significant change to the USB connector since the USB interface was standardized in 1996. USB 1.1, 2.0, and 3.0 all used the same flat, rectangular USB-A connector. While there have been several variations of USB-B, such as Mini-USB and Micro-USB, they are all designed for peripheral devices, which connect to a Type-A port on the other end. The Type-C connector introduced with USB 3.1 is designed to be the same on both ends.

There is no mini or micro version of USB-C, since the standard USB-C connector is about the same size of a Micro-USB connector. This means it can be used in small devices like smartphones and tablets. Since USB-C supports up to 100 watts of power, it can also be used as the power connector for laptops. In fact, the first laptops to include USB-C ports – the 2015 Apple MacBook and Google Chromebook Pixel – do not include power connectors. Instead, the power cable connects directly to the USB-C port.

A USB-C connector will only fit in a USB-C port, but USB-C cables are backwards-compatible with other USB standards. Therefore, a USB-C to USB-A or USB-C to USB-B adapter can be used to connect older USB devices to a USB-C port. However, the data transfer rate and wattage will be limited to the lower standard.

TechTerms - The Tech Terms Computer Dictionary

This page contains a technical definition of USB-C. It explains in computing terminology what USB-C means and is one of many hardware terms in the TechTerms dictionary.

All definitions on the TechTerms website are written to be technically accurate but also easy to understand. If you find this USB-C definition to be helpful, you can reference it using the citation links above. If you think a term should be updated or added to the TechTerms dictionary, please email TechTerms!